# American persimmon (*Diospyros virginiana*) The American persimmon is a sweet fruit tree that grows tall and has beautiful leaves. Its orange fruit is yummy and can be eaten when it's ripe, making it a favorite for many animals. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Persimmon ![American persimmon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Diospyros_virginiana_BB-1913.png&width=800) Photo: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles S, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diospyros_virginiana_BB-1913.png) ## Appearance The American persimmon has distinctive blocky, dark gray-black bark and simple, oval leaves that turn fiery red-orange in autumn. Its small, pale yellow flowers give way to round, orange, sweet fruits that remain on branches into winter. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ebenaceae - **Genus:** Diospyros ## Interesting facts - Eating an unripe persimmon makes your mouth feel like it's shrinking and puckering! - Its strong, dense wood is famous for making golf club heads and billiard cues! - Squirrels and raccoons can magically tell exactly when persimmons are perfectly ripe! - The word 'persimmon' means 'fruit-of-a-fire-red-dye' in an ancient Algonquian language! ## Special abilities - **Sour Surprise:** American persimmon fruit is super astringent when unripe, making animals wait until it's perfectly sweet and soft to eat it! - **Thirsty Root:** It has a deep taproot that helps it find water deep underground, allowing it to survive even long, dry spells. - **Fire Armor:** Its thick, blocky bark acts like a natural shield, helping the tree survive many forest fires. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 1000-2000 cm - **Spread:** 600-1200 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** American Black Bear (*Ursus americanus*) — bears feast on ripe, sugary fruits - **Eats:** Virginia Opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) — opossums enjoy the sweet fallen fruit - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — deer browse on its leaves and young twigs - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — bees visit its small, bell-shaped flowers ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking or eating any fruit from trees. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American persimmon? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is American persimmon? 1000-2000 cm ### How wide does American persimmon spread? 600-1200 cm ### How big are the flowers on American persimmon? 1-2 cm ### When does American persimmon bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is American persimmon edible? Yes ### Is American persimmon toxic? None ### What is American persimmon's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Bullock County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bullock-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Commerce Street Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/commerce-street-residential-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Congress Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/congress-avenue-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [East Commerce Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-commerce-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [The State Botanical Garden of Georgia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-state-botanical-garden-of-georgia) — Georgia, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see American persimmon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-persimmon) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [American persimmon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-persimmon)